


The New Avatar

by fangirlingtodeath513



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Bending (Avatar), Fire Nation (Avatar), Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, M/M, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24221392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlingtodeath513/pseuds/fangirlingtodeath513
Summary: Avatar Castiel is making his rounds, visiting the tribes around the globe, and this week's stop puts him directly in the path of Dean, an orphan earth bender with a secret history.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Minor Bobby Singer/Ellen Harvelle, Minor Charlie Bradbury/Jo Harvelle - Relationship
Comments: 15
Kudos: 43





	The New Avatar

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is just a fun little one-shot I wrote because Avatar: The Last Airbender was added to Netflix yesterday and I may or may not be binge-watching it haha. Some things aren't entirely accurate cause I needed them to work for this fic, so excuse those author edits ;) Hope you enjoy!

The tribe is buzzing for weeks before the Avatar’s arrival. It’s been a long time since they’ve had an Avatar from the Fire Nation, and not since before the Hundred Years War. The death of the last Avatar from the Fire Nation had sent the world spiraling into war, and Dean’s tribe had been decimated. He’d watched his own mother die at the hands of a deranged fire bender, and his father had been killed years later by a warring tribe. He and Sam had grown up homeless, living off what they could find until they stumbled upon Bobby and Ellen’s tribe one day. They’d been welcomed in like family despite being nothing more than two lost boys.

Still, as he dons his green attire and washes his face (at Ellen’s insistence), he’s excited. He’s never met an Avatar. This new Avatar, Castiel, is the same age as Dean—twenty-four, give or take a few months depending on when Castiel’s birthday is—and this is his grand introduction to the world. He’ll prove to the world that he’s mastered all four elements at the end of the month but for now, he’s making the rounds through all the different tribes around the world. This week, he’s visiting the different Earth tribes. He’s already seen some of them and Dean’s heard good things from friends in farther villages—he’s kind, he’s gorgeous, his smile is to die for—but he’ll make those judgments for himself. Hell, maybe this guy will spectacularly fail his demonstration at the end of the month, who knows. 

“Don’t forget your face,” Ellen says with a smile as she stands in the doorway of his room, radiating pride. He smiles softly and hods up his washcloth to prove that he’s already washed his face. “No,” she says, laughing and holding up the tub of ink that Dean’s only seen a few times in passing. “It’s tradition, you, Sam, and Bobby will all be wearing it. Jo too. The Avatar wants to honor his fellow benders.”

Dean inclines his head just barely, then tilts his up and closes his eyes so Ellen can carefully paint the ink along the waterlines of his eyes, as well as in intricate swirls across his forehead and cheekbones. A quick look in the mirror when she’s done confirms that it’s a good look on him if he does say so himself.

The main area of the village isn’t far from the home they live in with Bobby and Ellen. Sam practices his bending on the walk there, three rocks swirling in the air over his hand, his face pursed in a look of utter concentration. It’s kind of adorable, even on an adult like Sam. 

“You ready to see him?” Charlie whispers, elbowing Dean in the side. Dean glances at her and grins.

“Hell yeah. Never seen a fire bender in real life, much less and Avatar. Should be pretty cool. I just hope he’s not an asshole.”

Charlie laughs. “I’ve only ever heard good things. Anna wrote me a letter and said he’s dreamy, although I don’t think that’ll matter much to me,” she says with a giggle, eyes sliding over to meet Jo’s. 

Dean just rolls his eyes and follows Bobby and Ellen to the main street, lining up along the side. He can already hear the horns announcing the arrival of the Fire Nation, so he slips into his bender stance—feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped behind his back, head bowed respectfully. 

He doesn’t peek until he can tell by the noise from the crowd that the Avatar is close. He tilts his head up a fraction so he can see the Avatar. His breath catches in his throat. All those rumors weren’t wrong. Avatar Castiel is so attractive that Dean thinks he could combust on the spot from being so attracted to him. Fitting, Castiel in a natural-born fire bender. 

He quickly redirects his gaze to the ground. He’s not overly eager to be seen as disrespectful to the new Avatar, no matter how attractive he is or how badly Dean wants to continue watching the fluid movement of his lithe body, so carefully draped in the colors of the four elements. He’ll get a chance to drink his fill of the Avatar later tonight when they host his welcoming feast. 

~

Dean’s family is hosting the feast since Bobby and Ellen are the tribe’s elders. They leave the welcome ceremony early to prepare, although most of the preparations were completed that morning. Dean helps set the table and lavish it with traditional earth kingdom dishes, everything from the delicious, homey stew that Ellen insists on making the minute anyone gets sick to the delicious, homemade ice cream the nearby water tribe taught them how to make. It’s the perfect mix of Dean’s home and the royal-level food the Avatar must be expecting by now. Guy’s lived in a temple for nearly a decade, no doubt he’s only been given the best. 

Castiel arrives without any fanfare, which is shocking in and of itself, but it’s the traditional earth bender robes he’s wearing that really throws Dean off. It’s just Dean’s family in attendance, but he’d expected the Avatar to wear some fancy Avatar robes, or at least Fire Nation robes. 

“Avatar Castiel. Welcome to the Singer tribe, we’re so honored we could host you,” Ellen says, bowing respectfully as Castiel turns his gaze to her. If Dean’s not mistaken, the Avatar blushes. 

“I appreciate the hospitality, ma’am. It’s nice to be outside of the Fire Nation for once.” He smiles wryly, bowing his head in return. “Your home is lovely and everything smells…” he pauses, eyes fluttering closed for a moment as he drinks in the scents swirling around their home. “Amazing,” he finally finishes, grinning as he opens his eyes. 

“Please, have a seat, Avatar. Indulge in whatever you’d like.”

Castiel smiles softly. “I appreciate the respect, but it isn’t necessary. After you, please. You are the tribe elders, after all.”

Bobby and Ellen both seem taken aback, but they take their seats, and only then does Castiel take his. Dean, Sam, Jo, and Charlie settle into their own seats, each of them finding themselves caught by the scrutinizing gaze of the Avatar.

“You three are benders?” Castiel asks, eyes flickering between Sam, Dean, and Jo. The latter nods, grinning widely.

“Born and bred,” Jo confirms, nudging Dean’s shoulder. “These two stumbled into the tribe, but I guess they’re pretty cool.”

One of the candles on the table flickers out as Castiel reaches for a piece of bread and Dean watches in awe as the Avatar effortlessly relights it with a flick of his fingers. It seems like it’s barely a passing thought in Castiel’s brain, the fire just flickering from his fingers like an extension of himself. He supposes that’s how it is, though. Castiel was born with the ability to control fire, just like Dean was born to move earth. 

“You seem out of your element,” Castiel continues with a small smile, eyes shifting to Charlie. The delicately drawn arrows swirling around her skin give away her bending ability and yeah, Castiel’s right. Charlie’s a long way from home, though she’s called this tribe her home for as long as Sam and Dean have been around. 

“I was banished from my tribe when I was young. I had no interest in pursuing the study of air bending and they weren’t exactly pleased with that. The Singers took me in and taught me how to bend on my own terms.” She smiles, shooting a grateful glance across the table at Bobby and Ellen. “They’re good people.”

Castiel chuckles. “You seem to accumulate strays, I see. It’s noble of you.”

Their dinner passes in a mix of comfortable silence as they all eat and surface-level conversation regarding Castiel’s demonstration at the end of the month and what goes on from day to day in their tribe. Dean steals as many glances as he can because let’s face it, Castiel is gorgeous and he really doubts he’ll get to see the Avatar again, at least not up close like this. Might as well drink his fill now.

Except, once dinner is cleaned up and Ellen and Bobby have retired for the night after showing Castiel his quarters for the evening, Dean finds himself outside, alone with the Avatar. Castiel swirls a ball of fire in his hand absentmindedly, though he extinguishes it immediately when he notices Dean’s wary glances. 

“Fire makes you uncomfortable.”

It isn’t a question, so Dean doesn’t answer. He’s not exactly inclined to spill his entire life story to this random man anyway, even if he is the Avatar. He hears Castiel huff a laugh beside him, and then the small rock pile in the corner of the yard is shaking, three rocks floating directly toward them. Dean catches them effortlessly, twirling his fingers to make the rocks spin in a circle above his palm.

“I wish earth bending was that easy for me,” Castiel admits with a sigh, leaning against the wall that surrounds Dean’s home. “It’s always been the hardest to bend, in my experience.”

Dean snorts. “Can’t exactly help you with that, Avatar. I only know how to bend earth, I’ve never known anything else.”

Castiel smiles. “It’s easier than you think, you know. Here, let me show you. Bending air isn’t dissimilar to bending earth.” He steps closer to Dean and holds out a hand. Dean watches him warily for a moment before extending his own hand in return. The Avatar is the only one that’s supposed to master all four elements, but Dean can’t help the thrill that runs through him at the prospect of learning to bend another element. He’s not even sure if it’s possible.

“You have a unique connection to the spirit world,” Castiel says, seemingly answering his question without Dean having asked it. “Has no one told you?”

Dean raises an eyebrow, skin tingling as Castiel finally takes his hand. “Told me what?”

Castiel hums. “In a previous life, you were an Avatar. An Avatar from the Air Temples.” He smiles softly, tilting his head. “Avatars are often reborn into tribes they struggled to master. Since you were an air bender, earth would have been the most difficult for you. I was a water bender in my previous life, hence my being a fire bender in this one.”

Dean scoffs. “ _ I _ was an Avatar? That’s cute, Cas, but I don’t think it’s true.”

Castiel’s fingers skate along Dean’s palm. “I can show you, if you’d like.”

Dean hesitates, only for a moment, but what if… what if Castiel is right? His parents had died when he was young, and all of his other family had already died by that time. Anyone who would have known wouldn’t have been able to tell him. Is Castiel right?

“Show me.”

Castiel obliges, raising a hand to rest his fingers on Dean’s temple.

The effect is instantaneous. Dean is standing it what looks to be the distant past, watching the Avatar’s demonstration. She doesn’t look familiar, at least not at the moment, so he takes a seat and watches. Her form is shockingly good, although he’d expect nothing less from the Avatar. It’s not until he sees her eyes that he realizes who this is. He’s seen those eyes in the mirror every day of his entire life. This is  _ him _ . It’s a little shocking to realize that he was a woman in another life, but watching her bend all four elements so effortlessly is astounding.

He’s pulled from the vision before he wants to be, but Castiel is standing in front of him with a small smile. “See? I wasn’t lying. I’m sorry your family never told you.”

Dean shrugs. “Not like they had the chance. Why are we both alive at the same time, then?”

Castiel hums. “We always have been, actually. When I was in the spirit world, they told me that you and I have always been alive at the same time, and we’ve both mastered the elements in the same lifetime. It was just a matter of whoever was found first became the Avatar. This time, it was me.”

Dean raises an eyebrow. “Then I can learn all four elements? Isn’t that… I don’t know, frowned upon?”

Castiel laughs. “Probably, yes, but I’ll teach you.” He smirks over at Dean. “What are they going to do, arrest me?”

Dean snorts. The Avatar actually has a sense of humor, go figure. “I suppose not. Don’t you have to leave, though?”

He shrugs. “I’ll come back if you’d like. I do need to continue my visits and complete my demonstration at the end of the month, but after that, I still haven’t found a place to stay permanently. This feels like as good a place as any.”

Dean hums thoughtfully. “I figured you’d return to the Fire Nation.”

Castiel waves that away almost instantly, face twisting with disgust. “Absolutely not. I hate it there. They kept me locked in a temple for a decade mastering the four elements instead of letting me visit the tribes that actually mastered them. They just brought me teachers that reinforced their belief that the Fire Nation is superior and I’m protecting the world only because the spirits have asked me to.” 

“That sounds awful.”

“Perhaps,” he admits with a shrug. “Once I’ve completed my demonstration, I won’t have to return. I’m sure they’ll be surprised if I settle down outside of the Fire Nation, but I don’t exactly care.”

Dean smiles. “I’ll double-check with Ellen and Bobby but I doubt they’ll mind if you stay here. They might put you to work in the fields, though,” Dean says with a laugh.

Castiel smiles. “I look forward to it.”

~

Three weeks later, Castiel returns to Dean’s tribe and makes it his permanent home.

**Author's Note:**

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>  Find **me** on ]()[Tumblr](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/) and [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/fangirlingtodeath513)  
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